Not shy of taking a stand - Rahul Shivshankar

Journalism has never been an easy task. Never will it be, especially when you are a renowned name, and that too with a leading network. because you have to live up to the fanfare, the credibility and the business expectations.

Over the past two decades he has been the face of prime time TV journalism and raising important issues for which he has been loved, hated and criticised. All at once. 

Mid 90s to 2023

Rahul Shivshankar began his  career in the mid-1990s as a print reporter. He then became part of the launch team of Headlines Today as Executive Editor in 2003.

His next stop was Times Now. Shivshankar was a part of the team that launched Times Now and soon became one of the most watched anchors on the channel. He won accolades for the non-stop coverage of 2008 Mumbai attacks and also wrote a book about it.

Shivshankar moved to NewsX as the Managing Editor and Anchor in 2013 and a year later was elevated to the role of Editor- in-Chief. He hosted the primetime shows Nation@9 and Insight at NewsX. Under his editorial leadership, the channel was awarded the Best English News Channel of the Year at ENBA 2014.

While he became the prime time face of NewsX for three years, he re-joined Times Now in 2016, this time as Editor-in-Chief, replacing Arnab Goswami, who went on to launch his own Channel.

At Times Now he hosted the prime time debate show India Upfront, which won Best Primetime Show (English) Award at the 13th ENBA Awards. 

In 2021 he became the Editorial Director of Times Network  and also continued to lead the editorial mandate of the channel. He also anchored  other shows, including The Breaking News Show and Live Report, and the one-hour weekend shows- Confront on the network.

The recent re-structuring and the new guardianship arrangement between the two Jain brothers became a reason for Rahul Shivshankar to pursue greener pastures outside the Times Network.

Not Shy Of Taking A Stand

During a media debate organised by e4m in 2022, Shivshankar did not shy from acknowledging that journalists have a right to express their  opinion and take a stand  as long as they are holding the facts right.

This has been the backbone of his style of journalism , some even going to an extent of labelling him as ‘extreme’ in his views. But does this affect him?

“I have had a distinct editorial philosophy which marks me out as a person who doesn't follow the beaten path. And that distinct editorial philosophy has meant that I have been able to carve a niche for myself in the genre. I believe that today the viewer needs analysis and analysis from a  credible source simply because there is so much news and misinformation doing the rounds. A lot of which is based on rhetoric and not facts. The emphasis in my career has been to put the facts first”, says Shivshankar.

He is also a strong believer in “work as hard as possible and never expect others to do anything that you are unwilling to do.”

In fact it is famous that Shivshankar is a hands-on Editor and even used  to write the ticker himself, and listen to sound bytes at the editors console, even when he could have chosen to delegate such tasks. 

Shivshankar is also a strong believer in cultivating the next gen of journos who can practise this craft in a rigorous way to create impact.

“I know a lot of people who follow the ‘classic boss’ principle, of criticising, being extremely corrosive, even acidic when it comes to admonishing their colleagues and never telling them what to do. I always make it a point to show and demonstrate how something needs to be done because I believe that in a newsroom, every resource at any level has a capacity to make a difference, and I must be able to tap into the talent.”

Dealing With Critics & Trolls

 According to Shivshankar, he never  gets affected by sniping, or people attacking him because he knows their intent is a motivated one. 

“My facts speak for themselves and as an Editor you have a duty to strive for the truth. There is only one way to do journalism, and that is to interrogate the facts. You should never shy away from challenges, I have always found that I perform best in challenging circumstances and I like to test myself”, he shared.

Numbers Matter

While Editorial rigour is the cornerstone of his journalistic approach, at the same time he is not oblivious to the numbers that are needed in the news TV business.  “From the channels that I had joined, we were not in a good position ratings wise, and many people thought that I was being foolhardy by thinking of joining them. I would say each of these channels under my leadership gained and did very well not just in ratings parameters but also in the influence parameter.”

He further shares, “Many people would tell you that perceptions can’t be changed in the eyes of the viewer, but that's not true. If you have something worthwhile to say, you will definitely attract viewers, even if you are at the bottom of the ratings. It's never too late, that's what I believe in.”